. Men and manners of old Florence . sleep as long as thou hast need. But now let us penetrate a little further into theprivacy of that simple life of the fourteenthcentury : Beware of going out of thine house at night;but if thou art obliged to go forth, then take withthee a trusty companion, and a large and goodlight. If thou goest into any dangerous place, go withouttelling any person where thou art going. In likemanner, if thou goest to Siena, say that thou artgoing to Lucca, and thou wilt be safe from evilpersons. Never lend thy weapon unto any person who mayask it of thee, and for two rea
. Men and manners of old Florence . sleep as long as thou hast need. But now let us penetrate a little further into theprivacy of that simple life of the fourteenthcentury : Beware of going out of thine house at night;but if thou art obliged to go forth, then take withthee a trusty companion, and a large and goodlight. If thou goest into any dangerous place, go withouttelling any person where thou art going. In likemanner, if thou goest to Siena, say that thou artgoing to Lucca, and thou wilt be safe from evilpersons. Never lend thy weapon unto any person who mayask it of thee, and for two reasons—firstly, becausethou knowest not what he will do with it; andsecondly, because thou knowest not how soon thoumayest have need of it thyself. Always cause the .door of thine house to belocked at night, in order that during the night nonemay go forth and none may enter into thine housewithout thy knowledge, which thing is too greata danger; and, most especially, if thou hast anydispute, keep the key of the street-door in thine. THE CORNCHANDLER IN HIS SHOP.(From an early XIV. century MS. in the Latircntian Library.) [To face pa!<e 65. FLORENTINE MIND AND MANNERS 65 own chamber at night, and lock it always day andnight when thou sleepest. It is needful to be well provided with the necessariesof life, Paolo says : There are certain years when there is great famineand scarcity [tinned meats were not then invented !]wherefore remember always, if thou canst do it,to furnish thine house with corn sufficient for twoyears, and if thou canst not get corn, then takesome other grain that can be eaten ; and if thoucanst not get sufficient for two years, get at leastenough for a year and a half, and buy always in goodtime ; and do the same thing with oil, in order thatwhen the time of scarcity cometh thou mayest notbe without these two things in the house; for theother things thou must do as best thou canst; and seethat thou hast always a cask of vinegar. * Be not ready to run forth
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